HOW TO MAKE YOUR CONFERENCE ACCESSIBLE – AND WHY YOU SHOULD CARE!

CONFERENCE ROOMS

Are the presentations held in amphitheater style rooms? Or in large meeting rooms? Are there stages in the rooms?

If you have presentations in amphitheater, ensure there are spaces available for a wheelchair user to “park” themselves to follow the presentation. Ensure entrances to the amphitheater aren’t at the high end of the room, and if they are, that there is a low gradient ramp to be able to go down. Avoid placing the wheelchair seating area at the back of the room only.

If you are using large meeting rooms with rows of removable seats, make sure to leave enough space for wheelchairs to move around. Avoid people over crowding the room. It can be difficult to gauge how popular a specific presentation will be, but if you are able to get a feel for how each presentation will be attended (from historical data for instance), avoid scheduling a popular presentation in a smaller room.

If the presenter is expected to speak on a stage, is there a ramp or level entry to get on the ramp. If there isn’t, find another room for wheelchair using speakers. Don’t offer to lift them and their chair bodily up on stage. It is neither dignified nor safe!

BATHROOMS

Are there accessible bathrooms near the conference and dining rooms? This includes having stalls large enough to permit a wheelchair to go in, as well as sinks and taps that can be reached from a wheelchair.

Accessible bathrooms should be in near proximity, but sometimes accessible bathrooms are only available on different floors of the venue than the one where the conference is being held. If that is the case, ensure appropriate signage and information so people who need accessible toilets will know how to get to them.

Also, in the housekeeping address to attendees, it’s worth reminding people to avoid using the accessible stall. It’s not unusual for wheelchair users to be stuck waiting for people who could have used a different stall.

How have you made your conference more accessible for all people?

If you are interested in learning more about Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) or how to make accessibility a natural part of your business through the application of Corporate Social Responsibility, please contact Sandra Broekhof @ 416-579-1035 orsandra_broekhof@sympatico.ca